Airlines
Arson at Chicago Air Tower Causes Nationwide Delays
Arson at Chicago Air Tower Causes Nationwide Delays
An early morning blaze is affecting travel from coast to coast.
September 26 2014 2:28 PM EST
May 26 2023 4:13 PM EST
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Arson at Chicago Air Tower Causes Nationwide Delays
Nearly 1,500 flights were canceled in the wake of a fire at a suburban Chicago air traffic tower, set by a disgruntled employee upset he was being transferred to Hawaii.
Most of the chaos was contained by mid-day Chicago time, but flights remain affected around the world. Chicago, unsurprisingly, was most affected, with thousands of flights canceled out of Midway and O'Hare airports; the latter is one of the busiest airports in the world.
The public remained calm at O'Hare, according to reports. The reaction was appreciated, especially since flights were canceled to almost every state, as well as destinations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The employee who set the fire hurt himself while cutting wires and is now in custody; he also doused the air traffic control center with gasoline before setting it ablaze, though only one minor injury was reported.